Exclusive: ‘Mumbai is a mad land, but it’s my land,’ says Shalmali Kholgade

The melodious voice behind hits like lsquoPareshaanrsquo from Ishaqzaade and lsquoLat Lag Gayeersquo from Race 2 among others Shalmali Kholgade tells us about everything she loves about the cityVada Pav or Pav BhajiVada Pav itrsquos less messy tastes divine and hey Irsquom a MaharashtrianRickshaw or Kaali PeeliForever Rickshaw Theyrsquore easy to find itrsquos the size that all vehicles in Mumbai should be therersquos fresh air and some degree of adventure in traveling by rickshawJuhu beach or Bandra BandstandBandra Bandstand therersquos fewer people less smell of food the experience of the sea is just that much more wholesomeGateway of India or Marine DriveTough one But I guess Marine Drive because I love how it feels driving down that road along the Queens necklace Also Gateway always has too many people and that just dampens the experienceLocal train or BEST busTrain any day Irsquove travelled 5 years to college from Kanjurmarg to CST and it was the most convenient and reliable mode of transport I love that therersquos a dependable timetable of trains theyrsquore quick and if one can stomach the rush hour itrsquos almost always a very interesting rideTapri ki chai or Sol KadhiSol Kadhi one I donrsquot drink chai so this was easy for me But I also very genuinely love Sol Kadhi Specially because itrsquos not always available everywhere Favourite place in MumbaiThis is going to sound so strange but the Starbucks on the Lokhandwala Backroad between 8am and 11am is my favourite place in Mumbai This is solely because of how quiet it is the music that plays and how much peace of mind I find there I long to spend my mornings there writing reading learning something new chatting with the staff the aroma of coffee in the air the people who walk in and out the drinks they order coffee shops are very fascinating to meFavourite restaurant in the cityRight now it is Silver Beach Cafe in JuhuWell first and foremost it serves breakfast through the day it is located in the most quaint lane lined with tall trees the huge glass windows and the seating booths add to the dining experience I donrsquot know a single thing Irsquove ordered there that I havenrsquot likedThe Mumbai lingo you use the mostOh Irsquom totally Bambaiyya in my lingo with my friends Kaisa hai Kidhar thi Arre uska bohot chau chau hai Hahahaha I havenrsquot used that in a while thoughWhat do you love most about the cityItrsquos a mad land but itrsquos my land Therersquos space for everyone here People are helpful therersquos opportunities to thrive to learn and make more of yourselfWatching a play at Prithvi theatre or watching a movie at Gaiety GalaxyWatching a play I havenrsquot been to Prithvi a lot though Irsquove watched more Marathi theatre so Dinanath Yashwant Rao Chavan are more like the places Irsquod go to I love things thatrsquore live one take I love the realness of it allMumbai during rains or Mumbai during winterTough onehellip but Id say winter I guess since thatrsquos the only time it is pleasant through the day Although Mumbai hardly as a winter But I prefer it over the rains Mostly because I donrsquot like to carry an umbrellaThe school and college you attended in Mumbai Hiranandani Foundation school and St Xaviers college Everything about college was delightful I loved our campus my friends all the opportunities I got to explore musicAlso Read Exclusive Neil Bhatt lists out his 3 most favourite eating joints in Mumbai have you visited these yet